Study Tips for Biology Classes

1. Know the language.
Studying biology is like studying a foreign language. You need to learn the vocabulary if you hope to be successful. As you read, make a note of any words that are unfamiliar to you and look up the definitions. No glossary? Try a Google search in the form of "define: search term".

2. Read the Book.
Take the cellophane off the cover and start reading. Yes, really! Remember that most Biology texts don't read like a good novel (or even a bad novel, for that matter) - take your time and backtrack as necessary. Also, take advantage of any online resources or CDs that may be associated with your text.

3. Pay attention to the pictures.
Students often ignore the figures, tables, charts, graphs, etc. in their textbooks because they feel that stopping to analyze them will only add to the time it takes to read the assigned text. You may actually find that it is easier to study the figures first (a picture is worth 1000 words...) and then to go back and fill in the details by reading the pertinent text.

4. Ask questions. Find answers.
As you read and study the figures, try to keep the "big picture" in focus and ask yourself some questions. Why does (whatever) work this way? How did (someone) figure out this mechanism? What would happen if (whatever) stopped working? Now, as you continue to read, focus on finding answers to these questions.

5. Be curious.
It is difficult (if not impossible) to learn if you remain disengaged from the subject. Whether you a Biology major or non-major, take advantage of your time in the course. Look for the applications of the material that you are studying. Check the news, do a quick search on Google Scholar, add a science feed to your RSS reader. Becoming an active participant in your education will pay dividends.

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Ah...the $25,000 question. How long should I study? The general rule of thumb for most college classes is that a student can expect to study 2 hours for every hour of lecture. So, if you have a 3 hours of lecture per week, you should be studying 6 hours per week outside of class. Of course this is a ballpark figure. Some students may find that 3 hours per week is sufficient, while other students may need to put in 9, or more, hours per week.

Many students feel that this is unreasonable. However, if you consider the time involved in reading (reading...not skimming) the text, analyzing the figures, working the practice problems, and reviewing your notes as well as any study materials provided by the prof, you will likely find that these estimates are not exaggerated.

Planning to forego a balanced approach to studying and relying on cramming the night before the exam? Best of luck.

The Cornell method of note taking provides a framework for incorporating the five R's of note taking: Record, Reduce, Recite, Reflect, Review. In a nutshell, the Cornell system involves the use of a note page divided into three sections. The main section is used to take notes, while the two smaller sections of the page are used to store "cue" word/phases and summaries, respectively.

You can find more details on the Cornell method at:

LifeHacker.com

Cornell

FYI - A Cornell Note Paper Generator can be found here.